The Worlds Of The Last Man Essay

Offred and Hamlet lived in society that prevented them from being true to themselves by forcing them into given roles. In Offred’s society, she is forced to become a handmaid against her own will. After she is caught trying to escape from Gilead, Offred asks for her daughter and

In Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale, Offred recounts the story of her life and that of others in Gilead, but she does not do so alone. The symbolic meanings found in the dress code of the women, the names/titles of characters, the absence of the mirror, and the smell and hunger imagery aid her in telling of the repugnant conditions in the Republic of Gilead. The symbols speak with a voice of their own and in decibels louder than Offred can ever dare to use. They convey the social structure of Gileadean society and carry the theme of the individual's loss of identity.

the novel is a role model for Offred and serves as a part of Offred’s conscience. The

“Waste not, want not. I am not being wasted. Why do I want?” (Atwood 7). From stealing butter for lotion to playing Scrabble with the Commander, plainly, Offred is unorthodox. The Republic of Gilead controls how much knowledge each caste is allowed; this is one way of controlling people and keeping order. Despite being condemned to this society and commanded not to read, Offred reads anyways. Offred’s actions show her dislike of

Firstly, the author uses many similes, symbols and short sentence structures to emphasise the oppression and the totality of the control that the government has over Offred. She uses different objects in the room to symbolise Offred’s situation.

It is a wonder at how humans, subconsciously or consciously, naturally conform and accept their environment. In the novel, the abnormal lifestyles of the characters become the ordinary in the absence of an escape towards normality. When one encounters new situations, it is of human nature to convert these unfamiliar experiences into habitual activities to rid the discomfort of abnormality and feel at ease. To survive, Offred and other characters within the society of Gilead must conform to the lifestyle that is forced upon them.

Her belief gives her a false sense of security as well as her unwillingness to rebel due to fear of the Eyes. Her conversations with others are "Praise be," "Blessed be the fruit," and "May the Lord open" it is difficult for Offred or any women to really have a meaningful conversation for fear that anyone is a spy. Everything that Offred does is now part of the norm of society. She doesn't question her duties just does what is expected of her. As Offred begins a secret relationship with Nick she believes she has reclaimed a tiny piece of her past. She becomes addicted to the small amount of companionship from Nick, causing her to turn a blind eye to the injustices going on around her. She feels empowered because it was her own choice. When in reality she did what was expected of her. Using her body in order to produce a child.

Neologisms and Biblical Language help to give new meaning to words that were heard before and are scattered throughout the novel, from beginning to end. With language resulting in so much of the woman’s freedom, the story quite frankly could go two ways. After Offred has her child (assuming she has one), she may find a new perspective in all of this and find her place in society, something that she has been searching for since she became a Handmaid. This would result in no social change, but would end the story as her

Throughout The Handmaid’s Tale, Offred recalls her past life before and during the creation of the Republic of

Although Offred accepts the standards and criterions of her society, she keeps her individuality and refuses to forget the past. She remembers having had an identity of her own and strives to hold on to it as best as she can. She puts a claim on her temporary room in her Commander's house; it becomes a sanctuary for her true self. Her room becomes a place of

Undeniably, religion proves itself to be one of the most dominating forces that continues to enact long lasting impacts on contemporary societies; religion possesses the means to either acts as a source of unity or division in communities. In her dystopian novel, “The Handmaid’s Tale,” Margaret Atwood engenders the frequent usage of theological references- names of characters, institutions and other uses of language allude to various religious figures and ideas. Atwood’s constant attention to the power of scriptural imagery and symbolism is used not only to provide a familiar reference point for the reader, but to critique a dogmatic society in which there is little to no separation between church and state, consequently disregarding any notions

Offred's memories are a way for her to escape a society riddled with hopelessness. The authoritarian society of Gilead prevents her from

Offred, within the novel, is seen as being in one of the lowest classes within the hierarchy of women only putting her above the women who are sent to the colonies. Unlike the handmaids, the Martha, who are helping ladies to the Wives, talk about Offred like she is not in their present but viewed her as “a household chore,one among many”(Atwood 48). Although the Martha are women too, they have more control than Offred. By viewing Offred as a household chore conveys that Offred is an inconvenience but still a necessary part of Gilead. Speaking about Offred like this emphasizes that she is below them in the status of society and they are not seen as equals. In addition, Offred, being a handmaid, wasn’t allow to talk to the Wives in a direct manner (Atwood 14-15). By Offred not being allowed to talk to the Wives illustrates that the Wives authority over the handmaids. Furthermore, the handmaid’s are viewed as less and “[reduced]... to the slavery status of being mere ‘breeders’” (Malak). By conveying the handmaids are slaves shows are they force without consent to have sex with men and that the handmaid focus is to breed, unlike the Martha, aunts, and Wives. Moreover, the class system within the female hierarchy of Gilead is utilized as a political tool thus adding to the assumption

Despite the little dependence on women, they are still objectified and subjected to injustice because of their gender, regardless if they were a female in general or as a poor female. As something as simple as what a person is born with affects the respect that is given to them. Margaret Atwood formulates Offred’s personality much like any other handmaid in the community. Offred becomes familiar with the functionality and role of women in the community, therefore she adjusts herself in order to be up to par with the unethical standard. “I wait. I compose myself. My self is a thing I must now compose, as one composes a speech. What I must present is a made thing, not something born. (Atwood, 75). To be what is required of her, Offred must act unhuman because the expectations of females exceed the

Freedom to and freedom from” (pg.24). The state of mind that she carries is from an Aunt who is supposed to teach and console Offred who was back then becoming a Handmaid. Aunt Lydia is one of the people in the book who believe that their rights in Gilead are a blessing and should not be underestimated. Ms. Atwood's use of language for the Aunt in the novel is seen to be a concern parental figure who Offred uses constantly to remind herself in her head what is expected of a handmaid. She uses this voice to reconnect the Aunts teachings to her daily life in trying not to think of her freedom that she use to to have in her own home. This would tie into a nostalgic feel in use of language for the narrator because she remembers her old life and needs a sense of reassurance of what she has now. As of what she has now is not much but her sanity which is even up for question because of the lack of self control she has on herself. Even time can’t be measured in the society of Gilead so they only have bells to function on what time of day it is, this meaning she does not really have much but her own imagination and somewhat of logical thinking. Not her way of thinking of course but the way of thinking she has to respond in if she wants to